All Chapters of BOUND BY VENGEANCE 'CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA': Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The morning came too soon, the dim light creeping through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room. I had barely slept, my mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead. The safe house was quiet, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was about to unravel.Kate had left early, claiming she needed some space to think. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. It had been a few hours since she’d packed her things, and now I was left to wonder if she was truly trying to change or just playing her part in a game of survival.Ronan and Marco had already started preparing. I could hear them talking quietly in the kitchen, their voices low but urgent. The air was thick with the tension that seemed to follow us wherever we went.I moved toward the kitchen, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. As I approached the doorway, I saw Ronan standing with his back to me, his hands resting on the counter as he surveyed a map spread out before him. Marco leaned against the wa

The house felt even more suffocating after my conversation with Kate. The fragile peace we’d fought so hard to find seemed to be slipping through my fingers, and I wasn’t sure if I was holding on to it or letting it slip away.I spent the next few hours pacing the small living room, my thoughts tangled in uncertainty. Ronan’s warning echoed in my mind—keep your guard up, Ashley. I didn’t trust her, but a part of me wanted to believe in Kate’s sincerity. She had been my friend once, and that part of me was reluctant to let go of the hope that she could change.But hope was a dangerous thing, especially when it came to people like Kate.The door to the safe house creaked open, and I froze. I didn’t need to look to know it was Ronan. His presence was like a storm, always approaching with a quiet intensity that rattled me.I didn’t say anything as he walked into the room, his gaze sweeping over me with a mixture of concern and unreadable emotion. His footsteps were slow, and calculated, a

The rest of the day passed in a blur of tension and unanswered questions. Kate's revelation had set my mind ablaze with possibilities, none of them comforting. Viktor's death had felt like the end of a nightmare, but now it seemed we had only peeled back the first layer of something far more sinister.Ronan was in the study, combing through files and making calls. He was relentless when it came to threats, his focus razor-sharp. But his silence weighed heavily on me. It wasn’t anger; it was something more dangerous—a quiet storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.I found myself pacing the living room again, the same path I had worn down earlier. The safe house, while secure, felt more like a prison with each passing hour. I glanced toward Kate’s room, the door firmly shut. Her admission had left me torn between sympathy and suspicion.Eventually, I couldn’t take the quiet anymore. I headed to the study, knocking softly before stepping inside. Ronan looked up from his desk, his dark ey

The hours until midnight passed in agonizing silence. Ronan spent most of the time on the phone with his most trusted men, issuing orders in his calm but commanding tone. I busied myself by pacing the room, my thoughts swirling with questions. What kind of trap awaited us at the warehouse? Was this "Broker" truly behind Viktor’s network or just another player in the shadows?By the time the clock struck eleven, Ronan had finalized his plans. He refused to let me come with him, which led to a heated argument that neither of us truly won. In the end, I relented, knowing that pushing him further would only distract him when he needed to stay focused.As Ronan pulled on his jacket and holstered his weapon, he turned to me. His expression was one I’d come to recognize—a mixture of determination and worry.“I’ll be back before you know it,” he said, his voice softer than usual.“You’d better be,” I replied, crossing my arms. “I’m not exactly a fan of being left out of the action.”He smirke

The house had quieted down after the flurry of activity. Most of Ronan’s men had settled into their positions, while others patrolled the perimeter. The stillness outside the windows seemed almost too perfect, like the calm before a storm.I sat on the couch, staring at the untouched cup of tea in front of me. My thoughts churned relentlessly, a whirlwind of worry, fear, and anger. It wasn’t just The Broker that unnerved me—it was the uncertainty of what he might do and how Ronan intended to face him.Ronan’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You should try to rest.”I looked up to see him standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. His face was shadowed with exhaustion, but his eyes were as sharp as ever.“I can’t,” I admitted. “Not while all of this is hanging over our heads.”He walked over and sat beside me, the weight of his presence grounding me in a way nothing else could. “I know it’s hard. But letting your mind run in circles won’t help.”I shook my head.